2025 was a great year for rock and metal, but what really stood out were the number of excellent EP's and short-playing albums competing for top spot on my year-end list. It seemed unfair to pit 60+ minute full length epics up against 3-4 song EP's, so this year I'm giving the shorties their own list. So if you're short on patience but still want new heavy music worth hearing, this list is for you
A strange little three-song EP, but a solid amuse bouche from Polish death metal lifers Vader. More than thirty years in, Vader is still in full attack mode: two straight rippers up front, then the slower, stomping 'Unbending' to close it out. It is also a nice showcase for new drummer Michal Andrzejczyk, who proves he can do a lot more than stock death metal blasts and insane fills.
Municipal Waste's Tony Foresta and Cannibal Corpse's Paul Mazurkiewicz doing a Cryptic Slaughter, basically. Nineteen-ish minutes of crusty, in-your-face crossover that skews closer to punk than metal, all sprint tempos and barked vocals, just how you like it.
Apparently the last output we are going to get from French crossover thrashers Verbal Razors, which is a shame, because this is a very enjoyable punk and thrash hybrid. They lean harder into the punk side this time and it really works: the songs feel loose but not sloppy, and the choruses are as strong as ever. I love the vocalist's snotty, fed-up delivery, and the band clearly knows how to write a hook. If you need proof, just throw on 'Stronghold' and try not to replay it.
An interesting mashup of crossover thrash and grindcore that works quite well, even if it sometimes feels like you are listening to a split EP where the two bands happen to share the same name. There are plenty of short blasts that scratch that grind itch, while the rest hammers away at blunt, pit-ready crossover. There's not a bad song here, but the title track is where it really feels like Cult Member are onto something, eschewing the standard gang vocals for something approaching death metal growls in the chorus.
North Carolina's Valletta pound out a nasty mix of heavy hardcore, blackened death metal, and big, almost arena-sized hooks. The guitars trade off between heavy, dragging riffs and more strutting rock figures, while the vocals keep a gritty, growling bark that feels natural over d-beat or a simple rock beat. 'Cold Death' in particular is one of the most exciting death n' roll songs I have heard in ages, the kind of track that will be stuck in your head after a single listen.
Electro-industrial grindcore with roboto vocals to spare, Nuclear Dudes sound like a deranged arcade cabinet trying to murder you. This is the second of two releases they dropped this year, and both are worth your time, but Skeletal Blasphemy hits that sweet spot between energetic boundary-pushing and total noise overload.
Nine blistering tracks of full-throated punk rock. This band is all attitude and middle-finger in your face energy. There are no hidden depths to mine here. You'll either get it on first listen, or it's not for you. But if you like your punk raw and unadulterated, this is essential listening.
If there's a band that personifies the sound of badassery, it is Toilet Snake. A relentless sludge machine chugging non stop in your direction, crushing skulls beneath its metal-as-fuck wheels of death. Thirteen minutes of focused, unpretentious riff assault from an up-and-coming band that already knows exactly what it’s good at.
Norwegian newcomers Maltuka keep things short and sharp on their debut EP, a straight-to-the-point blast of classic thrash with just enough darkness clinging to the edges to keep it interesting. From my mid-year review:
I’ll take high and tight over padded full-lengths any day, and Black Rite delivers exactly that. Outside of a quick intro, it’s all killer, no filler—a sharp, snarling reminder of how effective well-executed thrash can be.
A black metal record that actually feels thoughtfully composed, rather than vomited into your face at 260 bpm. As I wrote in my mid year review:
the most compelling black metal...I’ve heard all year. It’s got momentum, restraint, drama, and teeth, striking a rare balance between intensity and progression. Think Enslaved at their most focused, with a touch of Satyricon’s swagger.
